Issuing a powerful message marking Martyrs’ Day (Shaheed Dibas) and International Mother Language Day, Awami League President and five-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has warned against what she described as a deliberate conspiracy to obliterate Bengali national identity and impose a new, alien sense of self on the people of Bangladesh.
Her statement, released on February 20, comes at a time when critics accuse the Yunus-led interim regime of enabling a dangerous rise in religious extremism backed by Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistanโs Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and Turkish ideological networks.
In her press release, Sheikh Hasina paid glowing tribute to the immortal martyrs of February 21, 1952โSalam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar, and countless unnamed heroesโwho sacrificed their lives demanding recognition of Bengali as a state language. She described the Language Movement as a timeless milestone in the centuries-long struggle for Bengali self-identification, tracing its roots to the resistance against Pakistanโs imposition of Urdu after the countryโs creation on religious lines.
Highlighting Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahmanโs arrest on March 11, 1948, alongside comrades while organising the movement, Sheikh Hasina emphasised that February 21 became the cradle of Bengali nationalism, fueling the autonomy struggle and ultimately the Liberation War of 1971.
โFebruary 21 is not merely a Language Martyrsโ Day; it has earned global recognition as International Mother Language Day,โ Sheikh Hasina wrote. โWe must honour our own language and national identity while respecting every mother tongue and ethnic identity worldwideโthis is the true philosophy of Ekushey.โ
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Yet, Sheikh Hasina warned, this hard-won legacy is under grave threat. โUnfortunately, a conspiracy is now afoot to erase Bengali national identity from the Constitution, to wipe out the words spoken from the heart of Bengalis and forcibly implant a new identity through coercion,โ she declared. โWe are realising that the struggle to preserve our self-respect is far from over.โ
Her pointed remarks have fueled speculation that the Yunus administrationโnow in its 18th monthโhas created fertile ground for extremist forces to undermine secular Bengali nationalism. Since August 2024, Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir have enjoyed unprecedented freedom of operation, openly organising rallies, reopening madrasas, and pushing for religious governance models.
Reports from multiple districts indicate increased funding flowsโchannelled through Pakistani ISI-linked networksโto Jamaat-affiliated charities and educational institutions.
Observers also point to growing Turkish influence, with several pro-government figures and media outlets echoing Ankaraโs neo-Ottoman rhetoric and promoting pan-Islamic narratives that sideline Bengali cultural distinctiveness. Critics argue that the regimeโs toleranceโor even tacit encouragementโof these elements aligns with a broader agenda to dilute the secular, linguistic foundations of Bangladeshi identity established through the Language Movement and Liberation War.
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Sheikh Hasinaโs message called for unity in the spirit of Ekushey to confront โall evil forces and conspiracies.โ She urged Bengalis to remain vigilant, declaring: โLet the people of Bengal be free; let the victory of the people of Bengal prevail.โ
As Shaheed Dibos and International Mother Language Day approach on February 21, her words have resonated deeply among Awami League supporters and secular activists, who see them as a clarion call to resist what they describe as an existential threat to Bengali nationhood.
With the regime facing mounting criticism over law-and-order breakdowns, political repression, and the unchecked rise of religious hardliners, Sheikh Hasinaโs warning underscores a deepening national divide: one side clinging to the secular, linguistic legacy of 1952 and 1971, the other accused of allowing foreign-backed extremism to erode it from within.
The coming days will test whether the spirit of Ekushey can still unite a fractured nation against those seeking to rewrite its very identity.
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